Writing implement



Feb. 20, 1940. E. s. NICHOLS WRITING IMPLEMENT Filed Dec. 1, 1938 311mm r Edgar B. Nichol;

Gttorneg Patented Feb. 20, 1940 PATENT OFFICE WRITING IIHPLEMENT Edgar B. Nichols, Moorestcwn, N. J., assignor to Nichols Products Company, Moorestown, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 1, 1938, Serial No. 243,310

7 Claims.

This invention relates essentially to writing implements, and more particularly to a pencil of the magazine type.

. In pencils of this type, there is usually provided a casing within which are arranged a lead holding member and a spiral actuating member, the latter being arranged to cooperate with the lead holding member to effect expulsion of the lead from or retraction of the lead within the casing, as the case may be. The actuating and lead holding members of many such pencils are arranged to occupy only a portion of the casing, leaving the remainder of the casing free for the reception and storage of extra leads.

Many usersof such pencils often find that they have very frequent occasion'to use other implements or tools, either in connection with their work, or in some other connection. For example, the mail clerk in an office which receives mail in large quantity has occasion to use a letter opener considerably, while alsohaving use for a pencil in marking the mail for distribution. Similarly, a radio technician may very frequently find himself in need of a screw driver, particularly onemade of non-conductive material, while at the same time having need for a pencil to record observed technical or other data. Again, a pipe smoker often has occasion to tamp down the tobacco when filling his pipe and to scrape out the bowl now and then afterhaving smoked his pipe several times. There are many other instances in which similar needs have arisen, and the primary object of my present invention is to provide an improved combination pencil and other tool which will meet such requirements.

More particularly, it is an object of my present invention to provide an improved combination pencil and screw driver or the like in a unitary structure which will occupy no more space than the conventional pencil of the magazine type.

It is also an object of my present invention to provide an improved combination pencil and screw driver or the like which is simple in con- 45 struction, inexpensive in cost, and efficient in use.

In accordance with my present invention, I mount a screw driver, letter opener, awl, or similar device on the cap member or closure for the casing of the pencil and, when the cap is mounted on the casing, the screw driver or the like is located in that portion of the casing which normally houses the extra leads. Thus, no extra storage space is required. Preferably, although not necessarily, the active end of the screw driver or similar tool may be made to fit the end of the spiral actuating member whereby rotation of the cap and screw driver will effect rotation of the spiral actuating member and thus cause the lead to be expelled or retracted, as the case may be.

The novel features that I consider characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best beunderstood from the following description of several embodiments thereof, when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is an elevation, partly broken away to show the interior construction, ofone form of my invention,

Figure 2 is an exploded view thereof,

Figure 3 is an exploded view of a somewhat different form of my invention, and

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line IV-IV of Figure 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout, I have shown, in Figures 1 and 2, a pencil comprising a hollow, cylindrical casing I having a frusto-conical end member or nozzle 3 from which a lead 5 projects when advanced and into which the lead 5 is withdrawn when retracted. The lead 5 is held in a suitable lead holder or carrier (not shown) which is actuated by a spirally grooved operating member 1 in more or less conventional manner, and since this feed mechanism is not, per se, a part of my present invention, it is not believed necessary to describe it in further detail.

The spiral actuating member l is operated by an operating head generally designated as 9 and comprising a base member H in the upper portion of which is received an eraser I3, a cap member l5 fitting around the eraser l3 and, together with the base member H, constituting a cap for the upper end of the casing l. Secured to the base H in any suitable manner, as by cement or the like, is a tool or other implement H which may be in the form of a screw driver, for example. If desired, the screw driver I! may be made of electrically insulated material, but in any event, the flattened, active end l9 thereof may be made to fit into a slot 2i formed in the upper end of the spiral actuating member 1. Thus, by turning the cap or head 9 in one direction, the screw driver ll will be turned in the same direction and the spiral actuating member 1 will operate the lead holder to advance the lead 5. Turning the cap or head 9 in the opposite direction will, of course, effect retraction of the lead 5 into the frusto-conical member 3. By merely withdrawing the head 9 from the casing l, the screw driver ll will be withdrawn with it, and it will be obvious that the screw driver will then be available for use as a separate tool.

In the modification of my invention shown in Figure 3, the eraser i3 is made hollow for the reception of a letter opener 23, which is preferably long and thin and has the cross sectional shape somewhat as shown in Figure 4, the longitudinal side edges 25 thereof being fairly sharp so as to be able to slit paper envelopes easily. The lower end 2? of the member 23 may be flattened or reduced in thickness similarly to the end IQ of the screw driver H to fit into the slot 2! of the spiral actuating member 1.

Although I have shown and described but two modifications of my invention, I am fully aware that many other modifications thereof, and changes in those herein described, are possible. I therefore desire it to be understood that I do not wish to have my invention limited except insofar as is made necessary by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a pencil of the magazine type, the combination of a casing, a cap rotatably carried by said casing, a rotary lead. actuating member within said casing having a slot therein at the end thereof nearest said cap, and means carried by said cap having a flattened end received within said slot whereby, upon rotation of said cap on said casing, said actuating memberis rotated.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1 characterized in that said means is constituted by an elongated member havingits free end flattened to constitute the active end of a screw driver, and characterized further in thatsaid flattened end is the one received within said slot.

3. The invention set forth in claim 1 characterized inthat said means is constituted by an elongated member of electrically insulated material having its free end flattened to constitute the active end of a'screw driver, and characterized further in that said flattened end is the one received within said slot.

4. The invention set forth in claim 1 characterized in that said means is constituted by a relatively long, substantially flat member having longitudinal edges adapted to slit paper and a reduced end portion, and characterized further in that said reduced end portion is the one received within said slot.

5. In a pencil of the magazine type, the combination of a casing, a rotary lead actuating member within said casing in proximity to one end thereof, said member having a slot therein at the end thereof nearest the other end of said casing, a hollow eraser at said other end of the casing, a-cap rotatably fitted over said eraser, and a relatively long member carried by said cap and extending through said eraser and into said slot. I

6. As an article of manufacture, a closure member for the casing of a mechanical pencil, said member comprising a capand a member depending from said cap, said last named member having its free end bevelled to permit engagement thereof with the lead propelling mechanism of the pencil.

7. As an article of manufacture, a closure member for the casing of a mechanical pencil, said, member comprising a cap adapted to fit over the end of the casing, and a member depending from said cap, said last named member being adapted to be housed within said casing when said cap is appliedv to. said casing and having its free end bevelled to permit engagement thereof with the lead propelling mechanism of the pencil. i

t ,EDGAR; B. NICHOLS. 

